Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Potchefstroom Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Potchefstroom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $890 in Potchefstroom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,309 in Potchefstroom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,728 in Potchefstroom.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 156% more expensive than in Potchefstroom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Potchefstroom is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.25 R 103

152.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$28.46 R 469

123.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.68 R 77.1

123.29%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.62 R 26.68

79.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.02 R 16.81

124.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.70 R 11.57

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.28 R 37.56

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$1.14 R 18.73

247.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.09 R 17.99

-0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.07 R 17.62

64.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.55 R 25.58

9.68%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.18 R 35.91

49.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.11 R 117

86.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.31 R 71.0

78.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$6.63 R 109

137.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.42 R 23.34

60.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.42 R 23.32

16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.66 R 27.25

21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.14 R 18.76

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.38 R 22.64

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.99 R 16.30

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.10 R 18.04

79.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.04 R 17.12

-20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.79 R 45.89

134.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$4.23 R 69.6

31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.99 R 16.36

34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.84 R 30.26

63.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.04 R 17.19

118.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.99 R 16.33

327.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.99 R 16.24

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$3.00 R 49.38

527.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.26 R 20.73

60.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K €30.3K

$19.1K R 314.6K

82.93%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K €34.3K

$26.0K R 427.7K

52.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €128

$125 R 2,061

18.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.52 €17.77

$28.28 R 466

-27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$37.93 R 624

4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$28.54 R 470

68.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$2.88 R 47.38

538.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.57 R 91.8

63.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$615 €532

$115 R 1,886

436.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,228 R 69.6K

285.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$24.83 R 409

309.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$19.87 R 327

111.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$80.9 R 1,332

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$64.7 R 1,066

88.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$262 R 4,315

514.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$299 R 4,927

318.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$418 R 6,877

634.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$499 R 8,218

307.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$864 R 14.2K

796.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$717 R 11.8K

497.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$908 R 14.9K

76.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.69

-67.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Potchefstroom: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $262 in Potchefstroom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Potchefstroom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $167 per month, with Potchefstroom cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Potchefstroom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Potchefstroom differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $890 including rent). Potchefstroom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $262 in Potchefstroom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $890 in Potchefstroom – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $890 in Potchefstroom versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Potchefstroom but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Potchefstroom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Potchefstroom are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Potchefstroom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.